Smiths Group shares are strongest among the this morning as investors digest news that the group is acquiring US detection company Morpho from French Aerospace and Defense giant Safran for $710m. While news of an acquisition tends to dent the acquirer’s share price (spending cash/diluting shareholders by issuing shares, risk of overpaying, integration risk, etc) the…

Is the next financial crisis around the corner? I know, it’s a fashionable question to ask and one that everyone’s got an opinion on. I don’t have one, but now you’ve clicked through to our website I shall reward you with some prose – some dross about something that’s concerning me to do with oil…

ARM holdings shares are taking a big leg up and heading the UK Index this morning with Q1 results from the chip architect being well received as profits managed mid-teen percentage growth in spite of a 20% increase in R&D spend. Investors like the sound of revenues +22% in GBP and 4.1bn chips being shipped in…

If you eat a lot of full fat food and have a sedentary lifestyle, you put on weight. If you’re a bon viveur, unfortunately, you put on weight. If you exercise like Arnold Schwarzenegger and drink protein shakes 3 times a day, you also put on weight. A lot of the time what you do and…

Rio Tinto shares are among the UK Index winners this morning despite the mining giant downgrading its expectations for iron ore production in 2017 and highlighting a tough Q1 as growth stalled and shipments fell sharply due to operational challenges including weather and exhausted stockpiles. Nonetheless, the positive share price response today comes from reiterated…

Macro observations Oil prices have fallen in response to a failed OPEC meeting in Doha on Sunday, which is sure to move the currencies of commodity producing nations, in particular the USD, Aussie Dollar, South African Rand, CAD. See also the Japanese Yen for safe haven seeking. US Fed speculation about the timing of future rate…